Chapter 5: Problems
by xXxVampireGoddessxXx
Summary: Raz strictly meets Sky in this Raz.vs.Sky chapter. They finally discuss a bit of their pasts and discover that each have problems of their own.


Chapter 5: Problems

_Wow._

That was the expanse of thoughts Raz was having when she first caught sight of Vincent Valentine.

Wow.

Raz could hear herself speaking, but she could hardly understand what she was saying. She could only hope that she wasn't saying anything too stupid. She saw Vincent's mouth move once or twice, but she couldn't make out his words.

His lips.

Raz pulled her eyes away from Vincent's face, and then it was like her head broke through water. Sound washed over her in an instant.

Somebody in the room whispered something unintelligible. Vincent was eyeing her with curiosity and another emotion she couldn't depict.

There was a noise behind her, so she forced herself to turn around as Sky stumbled out of the room with Reno staggering after her. Raz glanced back at Vincent, found that he was still watching her, and suddenly felt overwhelmed. She blinked to clear her head and followed slowly after Reno as smoothly as possible.

She felt sick. She could feel Vincent's crimson-colored eyes fixed on her back as she fled. _Need to get out … need to get away …_ Raz's mind was whirling. Never before had she seen someone as good-looking -- as _god-like_ -- as Vincent Valentine. And his attention was on her.

_Oh God._

She pushed through the front door and was soon out in the cold. "Ugh!" she grunted in frustration, clutching her hair. "Stupid, stupid, stupid…"

And then she became aware of two figures she had followed out in the first place.

"Something wrong?" Reno asked as Raz spun to face him and Sky. Reno was slouched against the wall and the pretty, young, blonde-haired girl -- Sky -- was leaning against him. Sky looked strangely torn, as if she wasn't sure whether to burst into tears or laughter.

She, as well as Reno, chose laughter, much to Raz's distress.

"Are you done?" she spat after a solid thirty seconds of withstanding their amusement.

Reno shook his head. "Sorry," he laughed. "I just wasn't expecting that."

"Not from _you_ anyway," Sky cut in, pressing her lips into a line as she finished laughing.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Raz retorted, suddenly angry.

Sky shrugged and ran her glance up and down Raz. "You just don't seem like the type with problems."

Raz, self-conscious, fiddled with her still-wet, tight-fitting black top. "You honestly wouldn't know what problems are," she commented in an absent manner.

Sky raised and eyebrow and retorted viciously, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Raz smirked.

Reno blinked. "I'm, uh, gonna …" He stepped back into the house, glancing worriedly between Raz and Sky.

"How would you describe your _own_ life, then?" Sky shot at Raz, cocking her head to one side. "Perfect? Richly-led?"

"Pah!" Raz exclaimed, fuming. How dare this girl make such comments on her life as if she knew. She didn't know anything! "You don't know what you're talking about." She paused, immediately thinking of her father. "How would you describe _your _life? At least you've got people who love you!"

Sky snorted. "Huh! Yeah, I've got friends, and I'm sure you do too. But that's not it. My own _brother_ hardly realizes I'm even _alive_. All he does is mopes around like he's got it bad, but he doesn't realize that he still has family!" She broke off and Raz feared that Sky was going to start crying. But then she continued slowly, quietly, "And the only person I'm willing to give my heart to hates me. He _hates _me."

Raz, undeterred by Sky's sudden solemnity, growled, "My own _father_ hates me! He tells me daily how he never wanted a girl. Never wanted _me_. And no matter what I do to please him, or anyone else for that matter, I can't seem to do anything right! It's always 'what a shame that Razydia isn't as good as her father' and 'how sad for that man, having someone like her'. They act like I don't hear, but I do. I do!"

Raz stopped herself abruptly, realizing that she had never told anyone that before. Ever.

"Well," Sky began slowly, some hostility remaining in her voice, "it looks like we both have our problems."

Raz pursed her lips. "I suppose we do."

There were a few moments of silence, and after a little while Raz was the first to speak.

"This doesn't change anything," she stated, sure that the other girl would know what she meant.

Apparently, Sky understood. She shook back her hair, planted her hands on her hips, and glared straight at Raz. "You got that right."


End file.
